Masonic Education Committee Craft Stewardship Pillar THE ANCIENT LANDMARKS (1859)

By RW Bro. Robert R Beckett One of the many books I own is entitled “A Textbook of Masonic Jurisprudence” written by , MD published in 1859. I was intrigued by a chapter covering the landmarks or the unwritten Law of Masonry of that era. I thought I would like to share this chapter with you.

In the following piece I will try to portray Mackey’s understanding of them, and I begin with the following quote: “Both the enactors and the time of the enactment have passed away from the record, and the Landmarks are therefore of higher antiquity than memory of history can reach. The first requisite, therefore, of a custom or rule of action to consider it as a Landmark is that it must have existed from time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary”.

The Modes of Recognition are of ALL the Landmarks, the most legitimate and unquestioned.

The Division of Sublime Masonry into Three Degrees. Despite the proliferation of such Orders of the Royal Arch including the Royal Arch of England; Scotland; Ireland and America and the High Degrees of France and Germany the Grand Lodge of England enacted a decree in 1813 that the Ancient Craft of masonry consist of the three degrees

“: the once and future thing” Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

Masonic Education Committee Craft Stewardship Pillar namely, Entered Apprentice; Fellow Craft and Master Mason, including the .

The Legend of the Third Degree is an important Landmark. There is no Right of masonry practiced in any country or language, in which the essential elements of this legend are not taught. The Government of the Fraternity, by a presiding officer called a , who is elected by the body of the craft, is the fourth landmark of the order. The office of the Grand Master is not a consequence of a law or regulation for Grand masters are to be found in the records of the institution before Grand Lodges were established.

The Prerogative of the Grand Master to Preside over every assembly of the craft whensoever held is the fifth Landmark.

The Prerogative of the Grand Master to grant Dispensation for the conferring degrees at irregular times.

The Prerogative of the Grand Master to give Dispensation for the opening and holding Lodge’s is another Landmark. Providing certain pre-conditions are met, the Grand Master may grant the privilege to a sufficient number of Masons, the privilege of meeting together and conferring degrees. The Lodge’s thus established are called Lodges of Dispensation. They are strictly the creatures of the Grand Master, created by his authority, existing only during his will and pleasure and liable at any moment to be dissolved at his command.

“Freemasonry: the once and future thing” Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

Masonic Education Committee Craft Stewardship Pillar The Prerogative of the Grand Master to make a Mason on sight. The thought that he might make a Mason on sight is often misunderstood. There are definite actions initiated by the Grand Master that must be followed. The Grand Master must summons to his assistance not less than six other Masons, convene a Lodge, and without any previous probation but on sight of the candidate confer the degrees upon him. These types of Lodges convened for a special purpose are called “Occasional Lodges”.

The Necessity for Masons to congregate in Lodges in another Landmark. It is understood that members of a Grand Lodge must obtain written permission from their current Grand Lodge to visit or be visited by another jurisdiction, for the purpose of holding a conjoined Masonic meeting. The Government of the Craft, when so congregated in a Lodge, by a Master and two Wardens is the tenth landmark.

The Necessity that every Lodge, when congregated, should be duly tiled. The necessity of this law arises from the esoteric character of Masonry. As a secret institution, its portals must be guarded from the intrusion of the profane.

The Right of every Mason to be Represented in all general meetings and able to instruct is the twelfth Landmark. This generally applies to what we call our current General Assemblies. Originally any member of our fraternity was permitted to be present at these assemblies.

“Freemasonry: the once and future thing” Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

Masonic Education Committee Craft Stewardship Pillar The Right of every Mason to Appeal from the decision of his Brethren in Lodge convened, to the Grand Lodge of a General Assembly of Masons. A Landmark that is highly essential to preservation of justice, and the preservation of oppression in any secret society.

The Right of every Mason to Visit and sit in every Regular Lodge is an unquestionable Landmark. This is based on the premise that all Lodges are justly considered as only divisions for the convenience of the Universal Masonic family.

The Landmark that No Visitor unknown to the brethren present or to be some one of them as a Mason can enter a Lodge without first passing an examination according to ancient usage.

No Lodge can interfere in the business of another Lodge, nor give degrees to brethren who are members of other Lodges.

Every Freemason is amenable to the Laws and Regulations of the Masonic Jurisdiction in which he resides.

Certain qualifications of candidates for installation are derived from a Landmark of the Order. These qualifications are that he should be a man, shall be unmutilated, free born and of mature age. A candidate must have A belief in the existence of a God. As the Great Architect of the Universe is one of the most important Landmarks of the Order. It has always been deemed essential that a denial of the existence of a Supreme and Superintending Power is an absolute disqualification for initiation.

“Freemasonry: the once and future thing” Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

Masonic Education Committee Craft Stewardship Pillar Subsidiary to this belief in God, as a landmark in the Order, is the belief in a resurrection to a future life. To believe in Masonry, and to not believe in resurrection, would be an absurd anomaly.

It is a Landmark that a “Book of the Law” shall constitute an indispensable part of the furniture in every Lodge. Nb. The term Book of the Law not necessarily mean that only the Old and New Testaments shall be used. For example, where Judaism is the prevailing faith the Old Testament alone would suffice. In the Mohammedan countries among Mohammedan Masons the Koran might be substituted etc. The Book of the Sacred Law is to the Speculative Mason his Spiritual .

The Equality of all Masons. The Monarch, Noblemen or the gentlemen are entitled to all their influence and receive all respect which rightly belongs to their exalted positions. But the doctrine of Masonic equality implies that, as the children of the one Great Father, we meet in the Lodge upon the Square.

The secrecy of the Institution is another and most important Landmark and some would call us a secret society. But in any society in which there is a certain amount of knowledge, whether it be of methods of recognition or of legendary and traditional learning and if this is imparted to those who have passed through an established form of

“Freemasonry: the once and future thing” Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

Masonic Education Committee Craft Stewardship Pillar initiation, then in this sense then Freemasonry is undoubtedly a secret society.

The Foundation of a Speculative Science upon an Operative Art and the symbolic use and explanation of the terms of that art, for the purpose of religious or moral teaching constitute another Landmark of the Order.

The last and crowning Landmark of all is, These Landmarks can never be changed, nothing subtracted, nothing added. As we received them from our predecessors we are bound, by the most solemn obligations of duty, to transmit them to our successors.

“Nolumus leges mutari”. We do not want the Laws to be changed.

It would seem that little has changed in the many years since they were first published. What changes have taken place seem to be dictated by the process of civilisation and the needs of society. What ever changes have evolved, they have not weakened the basic beliefs and fundamental principles of our Order.

Reflections Newsletter – Volume 27, Issue 4

“Freemasonry: the once and future thing” Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario